ABOUT
Pongamia

 

​Pongamia is rich in an oilseed-bearing tree that has been identified as an excellent candidate for non-edible biofuel feedstock. Pongamia is a resilient species and able to grow on arid, non-fertile land.

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Pongamia is also suitable for land rejuvenation due to its nitrogen restoration capabilities in soil.

Pongamia's suitability as a second-generation biofuel feedstock is one of the most important aspects.

 

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Advantages of Pongamia

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• Pongamia gives an oil that is not food, just like rapeseed oil, sunflower soybean

• Pongamia gives oil, which is one of the second generation oils

• Pongamia oil due to its properties can be used as a raw material for the production of biofuels in various climate zones (not like palm oil)

• In addition to oil, other high-quality products are obtained - animal feed, natural fertilizer, high-calorie solid biomass

• Pongamia is a tree and not an invasive bush (like Jatropha)

• Pongamia tolerates very poor soil quality and strong climatic conditions (low temperatures)

• Pongamia does not require the use of pesticides during cultivation

• A large part of the water necessary for growth, Pongamia is taken from the air

• Pongamia giving shade effectively prevents water from evaporating from the soil

• Pongamia restores degraded areas their functional properties, is one of the best ways to reclaim land, including desert land

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Pongamia oil

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From the Pongamia tree, the oil is obtained, which in terms of physicochemical properties is similar to rapeseed oil commonly used as a raw material for the biodiesel production process

Pongamia oil is not edible oil, and is not classified as food !!! This is one of the most important advantages of this oil. It is in line with the biofuel development policy, i.e. with a policy that limits and will eliminate fuel production from food in the future. Thanks to this oil is classified as a second-generation raw material, the use of these oils is supported and becomes required at the present time. Second generation oils will soon be the basic raw material for biofuel production

 

Pongamia oil can also be used as liquid fuel in the production of green energy (electricity and heat). This can be used in cogeneration units with energy efficiency above 85%. The efficiency of a typical coal-fired power plant is about 35%.

 

Other products from Pongamia

In addition to Pongamia oil, other commercial products are obtained from this tree:

Pongamia Cake

It is a high-protein and high-quality product which is animal feed

It is also a high nitrogen product that can be used as a high-quality natural agricultural fertilizer

As solid biomass due to the calorific value (in the form of pellets or briquettes), it can be sold as green fuel for a coal-fired power plant (co-firing) or a biomass-fired power plant

Pongamia shells

it is a product that can be used as agricultural fertilizer

 

in the form of pellets and briquettes, it can be used as biomass to produce green energy.

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Biofuel​

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Second-generation biofuel technologies are separated from first-generation biofuels by way of the
feedstock used. Whereas first-generation technologies generally use edible feedstocks such as virgin
canola, sunflower soybean, palm oil, etc., second-generation technology feedstock are generally not
edible food crops, such as Pongamia, Jatropha, or used and waste cooking oil, for instance, waste
vegetable oil is considered a second-generation feedstock as it has already been used and is no
longer fit for human consumption.

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